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2 Chronicles 7:14 is Not About Us

Many Christians foolishly cling to the verse below as if it applies to us, “the Church the Body of Christ”in this age of “the grace of God.”

“If my people, which are called by my name,shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV)

2 Chronicles chapters 5-7 is the consecration of Solomon’s temple to God. The ceremony contained singing, trumpeting, and religious presentations that included the Ark of the Covenant and the priests.

The pinnacle of the ceremony was King Solomon’s prayer of consecration to God over the temple and his people (2 Chron 6:1-42). In response God poured out fire from heaven that devoured the sacrifices (2 Chron 7:1-2). God later appeared to the King of Israel in a night vision to affirm the covenants of promise made with Israel and their temple.

Three thousand years later people in Indiana, USA place signs in their yard that quote 2 Chron 7:14 of God’s covenant terms with Israel.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14

Their desire is to claim Israel’s covenant promises for America, while at the same time avoiding God’s covenant curses. But the one problem that makes all of this impossible is that God was not talking to Hoosiers or anyone else in the past millennia when he a gave this covenant promise about forgiveness and land healing.

Below are 10 reasons 2 Chronicles 7:14 was not written about the church today and that we would be wrong to participate in Israel’s covenant today using this verse.

“the king turned his face, and blessed the whole congregation of Israel” – 2 Chron 6:3The covenant prayer and God’s response was given to the King of Israel and the nation, not to the President or any citizen of America.

“the king and all the people [of Israel] offered sacrifices before the LORD” –2 Chron 7:4Solomon sacrificed 142,000 animals. There are no such sacrifices needed for us to receive forgiveness. Christ already shed his blood for our forgiveness. Israel in 2 Chron 7:14 needed animal sacrifices.

“I …have chosen this place [Jerusalem] to myself for an house of sacrifice” – 2 Chron 7:12God chose a specific place to make his covenant. The place was the temple in Jerusalem in Israel (2 Chron 7:12). This excludes every other place in the world as a recipient of this covenant promise.

“If I shut up the heavens…” – 2 Chron 7:13According to the covenant made with God, Israel would be cursed with drought, pests, and disease if they disobeyed the covenant. None of these curses are sent by God upon the church since Christ was already made a curse for us (Gal 3:13).

“my people [Israel] , which are called by my name” – 2 Chron 7:14The blessings were given to “my people, which are called by my name.” God placed his name on only one nation: Israel (Num 6:27, Ps 147:20)

“if…shall humble…pray…seek…turn” – 2 Chron 7:14Forgiveness for Israel was conditioned upon their “works’ of humility, praying, seeking God’s face, and turning from their wicked ways (Mat 6:14). Forgiveness today in this age of the pure grace of God is now being offered freely through the blood of Christ without any of your works (Col 1:14).

“and I will forgive their [Israel’s] sins” – 2 Chron 7:14Israel’s sins still needed forgiveness. All their sins were not yet forgiven until they met the conditions. Our sins have already been forgiven for Christ’s sake (Eph 4:32, Col 2:13). There is not one more sin that needs forgiven in the church, the Body of Christ.

“heal their land” – 2 Chron 7:14The land belonged to Israel (2 Chron 6:25). The church the Body of Christ does not have one square inch of land promised to them by God. This is why we are called ambassadors and given a heavenly position (2 Cor 5:20, Phil 3:20).

“now have I chosen and sanctified this house” – 2 Chron 7:15-16The prayers were toward a building (2 Chron 7:15). We are not required to pray toward a temple, nor does the church have a temple made of hands for God to dwell in. Know ye not that we are the temple of God (1 Cor 3:16)?

“and strangers from the covenants of promise” – Eph 2:12Paul says that Gentiles were strangers from the covenants of promise that God made to Israel. 2 Chronicles 7:14was a covenant promise God made to Israel only.

Simply put, God was not talking to or about “the Church the Body of Christ” in 2 Chronicles 7:14. Thank God that he has revealed something more excellent in the revelation of the mystery of Christ (Rom 16:25, Eph 3:1-6).

The Church can glory in receiving “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places” (Eph 1:3) instead of waiting in vain for earthly blessings and curses that were never promised to us in the first place.

- by Justin Johnson as adapted for emphasis by Arthur Licursi -

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As you read through the various Articles and Study Series I've posted in this website, you will note that the topic of my writing always concerns Christ and our living relationship with Him. I thought some may want to know who I am and my point of view. Every Christian is the product of their life experiences and God's intervention in their lives. I'm just like you if you too are a believer who has received the regenerating "Spirit of life in Christ Jesus." We thus are recipients of God the Father's grace, love and His literal life, received in the person His Son, Jesus Christ, as "the Spirit of life" (Rom 8:2a, cf., 2Cor 3:17, 1John 4:13). Christ literally indwells our spirit (cf., John 3:6, 1Cor 6:17, Rom 8:16) as our new and eternal life (Col 3:4, Gal 2:20). See more.